The last cigar of Juan Treviño

Abstract

The Last Cigar of Juan Treviño is a historical short story narrated as a personal diary, portraying the life of a tobacco merchant in Monterrey during the second half of the 18th century, in the context of the Bourbon Reforms and the establishment of the royal tobacco monopoly. Juan Treviño, a fictional protagonist, represents the small traders displaced by the new system, which favored local elites and administrators sent from Spain.

The story begins with the romantic encounter between Treviño and María Josefa Larralde Cantú, daughter of a powerful merchant. Their relationship is soon interrupted by the arrival of the royal inspector José de Gálvez and the imposition of the tobacco monopoly, the economic and social fabric of the Nuevo Reino de León. While powerful families adapt, Treviño falls into marginality and becomes a smuggler. His personal tragedy deepens when María Josefa is married off to Cosme Damián de Arrese, the royal tobacco administrator, a historical figure who embodies the alliance between the Crown and the Creole elites.

Over the years, Treviño’s diary reflects the pain of a man torn between lost love, economic downfall, and clandestine resistance. The death of María Josefa and his eventual capture seal his fate but also turn him into a symbol of dignity in the face of colonial impositions. This story explores how the Bourbon Reforms disrupted lives, affections, and social balances in northern New Spain.